Record-breaking Traffic Continues at Queen Alia International Airport

As the prime air transport gateway for Jordan, QAIA stands as one of the fastest growing hubs in the Middle East, with sustained increases in passenger traffic year-over-year, with volumes for the first half of this year reaching 2,445,500 passengers, which translates to an impressive 17% increase over 2009. Despite the limited design capacity of the existing terminals, estimated at 3.5 million passengers annually, and the fact that the airport catered to more than 4.77 million passengers last year, AIG has been working diligently to utilize the airport's maximum potential in meeting the growing traffic demand, which typically reaches its highest rate during the summer holiday season. Preliminary statistics show that during the month of July, passengers travelling through QAIA reached nearly 600,000 passengers, shattering the previous one-month record of 533,000 passengers set in August 2009. Roughly 236,600 passengers travelled in the first 10 days of August.

Since AIG assumed management and operation of QAIA in November 2007, a multitude of new airlines and additional frequencies have been added to the QAIA flight schedule, rising from 28 airlines flying to 56 destinations in 2007, with 401 flights a week, to 42 airlines flying to 66 destinations in 2010, with 590 flights a week. The expanded frequencies have come from a broad spectrum of air carriers currently operating at QAIA, including Royal Jordanian, Emirates, Etihad, Delta, Austrian, Turkish and Air Arabia, as well as new flights by Alitalia, Vueling, airBaltic, Air Arabia- Egypt and Iberia,

In terms of enhancing the existing terminal capacity, AIG has been working closely with third-party partners including airlines, ground-handlers and government service agencies to add new and improved services, equipment and highly-trained staff to make the passenger experience, amidst limited available resources and construction works, as pleasant, efficient and comfortable as possible.

AIG will spare no effort in addressing the challenges faced in the existing airport terminals. The company and its 300+ employees, 97% of which are Jordanian, reaffirm the commitment to further enhancing and developing the Jordanian aviation sector, as mandated by His Majesty King Abdullah II. It is the prime objective of AIG, to develop QAIA as a healthy and self-sufficient service-focused enterprise - one that serves as a source of pride and prosperity for all Jordanians.